Memorable, crazy movie

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

This film tried to piggy-back off the success of "Analyze This" with the fish out of water (Hugh Grant) become part of the James Caan's family. The problem is--it just didn't work. The paintings in the film were blasphemous and Italian-Americans are portrayed as morons. I would love to see the same treatment applied to Jews or African-Americans. The fact is no one would have the nerve to do that but Italians are always fair game in Hollywood.The attempt at replicating the success of "Analyze This" failed. Despite the good cast of Caan and Grant, this is one of the worst films I had ever seen.

Michael (Hugh Grant) is an art dealer/auctioneer for a Manhattan firm called Cromwell's, a knock-off of Sotheby's. He has a good eye for art and is also a great auction man, as he can liven up any sale with his dry jokes. Good fortune has also smiled on him in the romance department. He has been dating lovely Gina (Jeanne Tripplehorn) for three months and is ready to pop the question. Yet, when he proposes over dinner, Gina starts crying and bolts out of the restaurant. It is not the response Michael expected. But, he learns soon enough about Gina's misgivings. Although she is a public school teacher, Gina is also the daughter of a mobster (James Caan) and the niece of the godfather of the crime family. She fears that Michael will be compromised and drawn into a life of crime if he marries her. Michael insists that he has a strong backbone and will never break the law. Yet, the day after Gina puts on her engagement ring, an ugly and ridiculous painting by her cousin shows up at Cromwell's for the auction. To Michael's surprise, it sells. But, it is part of a money laundering scheme and the FBI shows up at Michael's office. Soon after, Michael's resolve is again compromised....and again and again. Will Michael and Gina find a way out of the mob existence? This film could have been dismissed as a meager mob comedy if not for the talents of Grant. He turns the film into a true winner with his deft touch for humor. Just watch him try to dump a dead body in a trash bag but tell the neighbor lady that he is "merely getting rid of all the foods with sugar" in his refrigerator, having been recently diagnosed as a diabetic. What fun! Watching him attempt to talk like a Brooklyn native is quite a stitch, too. Caan, Tripplehorn and, especially James Fox as the auction house owner, also play their parts well. The production values are high, as the film sports nice costumes, good settings, and zestful scene changes. No, it is not the funniest mob comedy of all time, and definitely not in the same category as Married to the Mob. Yet, if you love romantic comedies with a twist and/or you adore Grant, you will find this film very worthwhile. Make a date with Mickey soon, very soon.

Hugh Grant is funny. He uses his British accent and his naughty schoolboy manner to bring a laugh to any film. This one is no exception.He falls in love with Gina (Jeanne Tripplehorn), who's father (James Caan) is a mobster. So we have some of our favorite mobster characters: Burt Young ("The Last Don"), Joe Viterelli (Analyze This), Tony Darrow (Small Time Crooks), Paul Lazar (29th Street), and. even "Big Pussy" from "The Sopranos" (Vincent Pastore).Hugh Grant playing a mobster is a laugh a minute, and I just was captivated by Jeanne Tripplehorn (Basic Instinct, The Firm).One of his best.

I really disliked this comedy--mostly because it just wasn't funny and Hugh Grant's performance was so forced and unbelievable. And this difficulty in his performance (I'll make no gratuitous jokes about his arrest) is due to the awfulness of the script and that he is asked to play way outside his range.Hugh is getting married, but his fiancée (Jeanne Tripplehorn) has a secret. She's the daughter of a big-time mobster (James Caan--who looks kind of weird in this film--what's with the makeup?)! Well, instead of finding this out and flying back to Britain (that would have been best in the long run), he sticks around because he loves her so much and he knows it will work out fine. It doesn't and I knew it wouldn't when, for laughs, he tries to talk like an American mobster--the comedic low-point of the film. It only got worse from there and I could tell by his pained expression that Grant desperately wanted the film to end.I recommend this film to no one. Neither dogs, children, adults or penguins--NO ONE! It's frightfully dull and unfunny and it's tough to spend as much money as the studio did and come up with THIS!